A court in the central Indian city of Bhopal is considering whether to reduce charges against a former Union Carbide official arising out of one of the world's worst industrial disasters.

If victims are going to be sacrificed for preserving business relations with the United States, I think it's a matter of great shame

S Muralidharlawyer

Thousands of people in Bhopal died in December 1984 after a gas leak at a chemical factory owned by Union Carbide, which is now defunct.

The court is considering an application from the Indian Government to reduce the gravity of criminal charges against the American former chief of the company, Warren Anderson, who is accused of culpable homicide.

Although the hearing began on Tuesday, the court postponed making a decision, and is now expected to rule on Wednesday.

A reduction in charges would bring the case against Mr Anderson in line with Indian former company officials, who have already succeeded in getting their charges watered down to negligence.

The trial heard from witnesses on Tuesday who used to work at the factory.

One affirmed prosecution charges that key machinery there was malfunctioning at the time of the disaster.

That includes filtering equipment and a cooling system, both of which would probably have prevented the gas leak or softened its effects.

'Absconder'

Nearly 18 years on, the disaster at the Union Carbide pesticide factory is a continuing nightmare for the people of Bhopal.

More than 3,000 people died within hours, mostly in agony, when a storage tank burst, sending tonnes of deadly gases over the sleeping city.

Within hours, 3,000 people had died

In all, more than 20,000 deaths have been linked to the disaster.

More than 100,000 people are ill, including babies still being born to victims today.

Warren Anderson vanished from public view in the US, and is now defined in Indian law as an absconder.

But India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has applied for the court to reduce charges to one of a "rash and negligent act" which would carry a maximum prison sentence of two years.

Gas leak victims and their supporters believe that Delhi has succumbed to pressure from Dow Chemical, the company which took over Union Carbide.

They believe the government is anxious not to scare away foreign investors and they say it is right that Mr Anderson, as the overall company leader, should continue to be accused of homicide.

Blame 'useless'

Gas leak victims in the city are angry and have been staging protests for several weeks.

The government wants homicide charges dropped

S Muralidhar, a lawyer for many of them, says he cannot understand why the Indian Government is lessening its accusation.

"If the Bhopal victims are going to be sacrificed for preserving business relations with the United States, I think it's a matter of great shame," Mr Muralidhar said.

But Prabhat Gupta, who used to work inside the pesticide plant, says it is useless to blame anyone for the gas leak.

He insists the company did care about safety.

"As a whole, we definitely feel that the measures taken by the organisation and the company, they were really excellent."

Either way, given that the Indian Government has not yet put in an extradition request, correspondents say the chances of Warren Anderson appearing in an Indian courtroom appear slim.